Pension amount diverted to pay property tax arrears in Telangana’s Mancherial

According to reports, local Panchayat secretary informs 15 beneficiaries that that their pension amount for December was used to clear their property tax dues

Mancherial: In a strange mode of collecting property tax dues, panchayat officials in Namnur village of Hajipur mandal here allegedly diverted the social security pensions of about 15 persons to clear their property tax arrears.

A total of 275 residents in the village were beneficiaries of various social security pensions. Of them, 15 beneficiaries were shocked when the local Panchayat secretary told them that their pension amount for December was used to clear their property tax dues.

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They urged the official to give them back the amount, considering their plight. The beneficiaries regretted that the officials did not give the funds when they pleaded to them and said they would not be able to meet their needs if the pension was deducted.

When asked, Panchayat secretary Sandhya Rani, however, denied the allegation and claimed that she did not deduct the pension amount of any beneficiary to clear arrears of property tax. She stated that she was ready to face action if found guilty. She added that someone was targeting her for turning down official favours.

Hajipur Panchayat Officer Umar said staffers of the department were not allowed to use the pension to pay property tax. He stated that steps would be taken to return the pension to the beneficiaries if it was indeed deducted.